There are two types to look out for.
The observer and the conversationalist.
The first is the classic silent observer. She doesn’t talk that much in the gatherings, but you can tell she is engaged. She picks up everything that’s going on. She discerns clearly both what is going on and the states of all those in the conversation. If she wanted to, she could bring some insights into those in the group that would startle you. She won’t do that, though. She is not that way inclined. She’ll just endeavour to keep a low profile and not upset things, but she does know what’s going on.
The second is the conversationalist who animatedly gets others to do the talking. Oh he talks alright and he’s very entertaining and engaging in his patter. He won’t hog the conversation, because as a conversationalist, he is gifted at asking the right questions and making the right provocative statements that gets others to contribute. On reflection you are amused at just how he was able to get so much out from those participating. He succeeded in giving the impression it was about all of you sharing together.
What the observer and the conversationalist have in common, which is something to look out for, is their ability to disclose little to nothing about themselves, but leave room and facilitate the conditions in which you may disclose something about yourself. The conversationalist clearly is not primarily there at all to give anything about themselves away and their chat is noticeably vague about self-disclosure, but remarkably astute at evoking disclosure. Yes even the observer, by staying studious and quiet is in essence giving the space and time over to others to do the sharing.
Jesus was neither an observer or a conversationalist. Yet for all His signs and teachings and parables and despite making it clear to those concerned who He was, people had no difficulty misunderstanding Him. It was for those who really wanted to know Him that got insights into Him and even there, they were not quick on the uptake in accepting everything about Him.
The wonderful thing about faith in Jesus is that He makes and open invitation to really know Him. You can know Him. He reveals Himself. To those who seek Him with all their heart, they find Him. They see how He is revealed and embrace Him and grow in knowing how the more they know is the more they want to know. Knowing full well that it is His invitation to know Him that gives the assurance that we can know Him. This is not about data collection to be able to put together a Wiki-page on Him. This is about acknowledging how He reveals Himself and what that says about how now we live in the light of that revelation.
He doesn’t want us to approach Him as though He’s an observer, checking you out to tell you about yourself. In as much as He walks and talks with you, He doesn’t just hold conversations to be ambiguous about Himself but to get you to do you. There is no way we can be like Him unless we know Him – not just by the things that He does, but by the motive and direction behind it.
Those with the keen senses to pursue Him will see this revelation of Himself throughout life. They will be very sensitive to who He is and respond in praise and worship and heartfelt responsive obedience to serving the needs of those around.
He wants to be known, the issue is do we really want to engage with Him by how He reveals Himself?
(Photo by Ben White on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 